Soap marker foaming drop tube

ABSTRACT

The apparatus consist of an inner perforated cap attached to a long flexible perforated tubing. When a mixture of soap, air and water are forced through the apparatus an enormous amount of soap foam forms on the outside of the tubing. Since the foam is forming from top to bottom, it will mark tall residue as well as the ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the drop tube on soap markers used tomark the swath width of fertilizer and spraying equipment used in theagricultural industry. Spray booms are getting wider with some over 100ft. Government regulations on highly erodible land coupled with theConservation Reserve Program has Applicators searching for their soapthat has fallen below the top of residue. This leads to skips incoverage and overlapping which is costly and harmful to the enviromentand the crop. With the old style drop tube the only way to get above theresidue canopy was to raise the boom which screwed up the spray pattern.

With the new style drop tube, where there is no residue, the soap dropsoff the end of the tube same as the old style, except bigger blobs. Whenthere is tall residue, the soap dislodges from the outside of the tubewhen it comes in contact with the vegetation, thus marking it for easysight. Some fields have plant growth from bare dirt to over 6 ft. Theinvention works on all applications without adjustment.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Old style drop tubes consist of a solid flexible hose that drops downfrom the end of a spray boom and has a cup at the end of the hose thathas a plastic sponge, similar to a kitchen scrubber, wired into it. Thesoap forms at the bottom of the cup only.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of this invention to provide a single foam drop tubethat will work for any application. It will provide less wind drift,make bigger, longer lasting soap blobs, mark tall residue, use less soapand increase applicator accuracy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The present invention will be more fully understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description thereof when read in conjunction with theattached drawing, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rearview of approximately 10 ft. of the end of a spray boomwith drop tube attached.

FIG. 2 is an example of a field where boom is used, for applicationunderstanding only.

FIG. 3. shows an elevation view of a drop tube of the instant invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Mounted on the end of a spray boom 1 for making the pathway are soapfoaming drop tubes. These tubes are lengths of perforated flexibletubing 6 closed at one end 7 by a wall while the other end is closed offby a perforated pug 5 attached to a hose barb 4. Each hose barb 4attaches to a connector and hose barb adapter 3 mounted to a hose 2leading from a mixing chamber. Once a soap, air and water mixture aredelivered via the hose 2 to the drop tubes, a foaming action starts asthe mixture passes into tubing 6 through the perforated plug 5. Theclosed ends force the soap foam 8 to flow from the tubes through theperforations all along the length of the tubes. This results in anincreased foaming action occurring on the entire surface of the tubesinstead of the bottom of a cup as in the prior art. The soap foam worksits way down each tube and drops to the ground 10 or clings to weeds,grass or crops 9. This device will allow soap marks to be placed fromground level to the highest point of the tubes 4 without a need foradjustment.

I claim:
 1. A soap marker foaming drop tube comprising:A plexible tubehaving perforations along an entire length thereof having one end closedoff by a wall, and a perforated plug closing off another end andattached to a hose barb for attaching to a hose barb adapter andconnector on a supply hose from a mixing chamber such that upon deliveryof a soap, air and water mixture via the supply hose, a foaming actionwill occur that will cause foam to exit the tube via the perforationsalong the length to allow soap markings to be deposited on a surface,either by touching the surface or falling to the surface.
 2. The soapfoaming drop tube according to claim 1 wherein the tube is flexible andhas a constant diameter from end to end so that it will bend and slideover obstructions without snagging.
 3. The soap foaming drop tubeaccording to claim 1 wherein the tube will foam from end to end duringusage marking vegetation or the ground without need for adjustment.